Okaloosa throws in with other counties to fight DJJ rules

Published: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at 03:20 PM.

FORT WALTON BEACH — Okaloosa County will continue to fight the state Department of Juvenile Justice over the cost of housing young offenders.

Commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously to file a legal challenge to the DJJ’s most recent funding rules.

“I’m convinced that Okaloosa County is looking at this thing right,” County Administrator Ernie Padgett told the board. “They want to change the rules so that more of the detention costs are passed off on us.”

If the DJJ plan stays on track, Okaloosa County’s costs to house juvenile offenders would increase from $180,000 to almost $800,000.

Okaloosa County Attorney Greg Stewart – of the Tallahassee firm Nabors, Giblin & Nickerson – told the board that the company has agreed to represent the Florida Association of Counties and 23 individual counties in the “joint attack” on the DJJ funding rules.

“It will substantially reduce your (legal) costs, and the issues we need to raise in the rule challenge are identical, whether ... it’s Palm Beach County or Hillsborough County or Okaloosa County,” Stewart said.

Under the FAC’s plan, medium-sized counties such as Okaloosa would pay a maximum of $3,500 in legal costs to challenge the rules.

Commissioner Wayne Harris said the cost of challenging the rules was a small price to pay considering the $3 million in overcharges the DJJ still owes to Okaloosa.

The issue dates back to the 2009-10 fiscal year when the DJJ overcharged Okaloosa and several other counties to house juvenile defendants.

The counties teamed up to file a lawsuit in 2011. A state appeals court sided with the counties but stopped short of requiring the DJJ to reimburse or credit the counties.

FORT WALTON BEACH — Okaloosa County will continue to fight the state Department of Juvenile Justice over the cost of housing young offenders.

Commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously to file a legal challenge to the DJJ’s most recent funding rules.

“I’m convinced that Okaloosa County is looking at this thing right,” County Administrator Ernie Padgett told the board. “They want to change the rules so that more of the detention costs are passed off on us.”

If the DJJ plan stays on track, Okaloosa County’s costs to house juvenile offenders would increase from $180,000 to almost $800,000.

Okaloosa County Attorney Greg Stewart – of the Tallahassee firm Nabors, Giblin & Nickerson – told the board that the company has agreed to represent the Florida Association of Counties and 23 individual counties in the “joint attack” on the DJJ funding rules.

“It will substantially reduce your (legal) costs, and the issues we need to raise in the rule challenge are identical, whether ... it’s Palm Beach County or Hillsborough County or Okaloosa County,” Stewart said.

Under the FAC’s plan, medium-sized counties such as Okaloosa would pay a maximum of $3,500 in legal costs to challenge the rules.

Commissioner Wayne Harris said the cost of challenging the rules was a small price to pay considering the $3 million in overcharges the DJJ still owes to Okaloosa.

The issue dates back to the 2009-10 fiscal year when the DJJ overcharged Okaloosa and several other counties to house juvenile defendants.

The counties teamed up to file a lawsuit in 2011. A state appeals court sided with the counties but stopped short of requiring the DJJ to reimburse or credit the counties.